Second of all, I don't know why oranges filled with ice cream fall under the category of winter favorites. My only association with oranges and winter together is that sometimes oranges are found in the toe of Christmas stockings. I don't know where this originates either, but I can tell you that the 10th Doctor of Doctor Who, in the Christmas special, "The Christmas Invasion," used a Satsuma to save himself when under attack from the Sycorax.
I'm not so curious about these things that I'm going to do more than a quick internet search, but I am a little curious, so here is what a quick search reveals:
from the site: www.countrysidecitrus.com
"People can buy navel oranges nearly any time of year, but true navel orange lovers will be best to buy oranges between November and January when the taste is at perfection. The fruit will be fine during other times, but this is the season when natural growers release their best treats."
and from the Smithsonian Magazine article: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/why-we-should-bring-back-tradition-christmas-orange-180971101/
The story seems to begin with three women whom St. Nicholas saved from slavery when he provided them with a dowry of a bag of gold. It seems as though our jolly friend, who was perhaps actually the Bishop of Myra, chucked three sacks of gold down the chimney of the house where the three women lived. The gold landed in the stockings the women had hung up to dry by the fire. From there, it seems that the tradition evolved, and as a nod to the "Miracle of the Dowries," gold was replaced with the affodable alternative, the orange. This is actually a fascinating article which I would recommend.
That answers the question about oranges being a winter favorite, and I'm just going to shrug it off and say that perhaps it is warm enough in some parts of the country during the winter for ice cream to be seasonally fitting.
Back to the Baked Alaska. In regards to the photo of the recipe, another highly misleading image. Betty's image looks like at least 3/4 of an orange, if not essentially a whole one. It is unlikely the orange in this photo contains any ice cream, and I would venture to say that it hasn't had the fruit removed and replaced as the recipe instructs. I'm ok with it not containing the ice cream or having been prepared according to instructions. I am not ok with it depicting a whole orange when the recipe states each serving as half an orange. I am also not okay with the extraordinary amount of meringue shown. If this were a stand alone foodie Instagram shot, no worries. BUT THIS IS A RECIPE. I NEED TO KNOW WHAT TO ACTUALLY EXPECT. After topping one of my orange halves, I could see that there was not going to be enough meringue for the other five halves if I continued at this rate.
Important lessons learned: if I want the photos of the food to be as much a part of this blog experience as anything else, I need to plan the photo first. Everything needs to be laid out in such a manner that when the food is complete, I simply place it, turn on the lights, and start shooting. Any good food photographer knows this. I knew this. I got so wrapped up in the recipes, I forgot. Also, the hunger need often overpowers the photo need. I knew this. I forgot.
Here it is, my Orange Baked Alaska.
Rating 4 red spoons
Like the recipe card says, this dessert takes time, but it was refreshing and delicious. Would make again under the right circumstances. I wouldn't say this was a dinner party dessert. While you can prepare the oranges and ice cream ahead of time, provided you have space in your fridge and freezer, the meringue needs to be fresh, I would think. The meringue takes time, so you would be stuck in the kitchen while your guests wondered where you were. UNLESS you have a stand mixer. Oh, how I do want a stand mixer. HOWEVER, I could see chilling out with my friend Margie one weekend, and while she prepared the oranges, I could prepare the meringue. It's good to have friends you can cook with.
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